Melbourne businessman arrested in Greece over cruel 2023 drive-by shooting after years on the run
Christopher Perrone, 32, was taken into custody at Athens International Airport on July 31 when he was reportedly about to board a flight.
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He was wanted under an international arrest warrant issued by Australian authorities.
Perrone's arrest was the sixth related to the underworld killing at Craigieburn Central Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north in October 2023.
Robert Issa, 27, was gunned down while sitting in his Mercedes SUV in the shopping centre car park with his friend Eric Catanese.
Multiple shots were fired into the passenger side and rear windows, killing Issa and injuring the now 30-year-old Catanese.
Victoria Police believe the attack may be connected to Melbourne's illegal tobacco wars.
'This shooting was incredibly violent and it played out in a shopping centre car park in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday,' Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said.
Hours before Perrone's arrest in Greece, five men were arrested following police raids across Melbourne's north and east.
They have each been charged with murder, attempted murder and criminal damage by fire.
Perrone's younger brothers, Dion and Fabio, are among those charged and are due to face court in December, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Thomas said the five men are likely 'foot soldiers', while those responsible for planning the attack remain at large.
Victoria Police announced a $1 million reward on Monday for information about Issa's murder, particularly targeting those 'further up the chain who ordered, financed and organised the hit'.
'We know there are others out there and we will take every step in this investigation to identify them,' Thomas said.
'We have already made clear we will do everything we can to identify every single person involved in both the planning and the execution, and now there are one million reasons to come forward with any information you may have.'
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Perrone was able to travel freely between Dubai, Turkey, and Greece before his arrest.
Whether Perrone will be extradited to Australia will be decided during hearings in Greece.
However, with Greek courts closed throughout August, it may be at least a month before a hearing is scheduled.
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